Nine Warriors
by FandomPrincess246
Summary: *threequel to Another Ninja* The group returns to Norrisville High for their junior year, hoping for the best. Well, better than their last few years. However, they're unaware of a prophecy that had been in place ever since the Sorcerer's first defeat. A mysterious oracle is the only one aware and, if they don't know how to handle their fates…one can only hope all will end well…
1. Nightmares

Chapter 1

Small snores were heard coming from a house in the town of Norrisville. The moon and stars shone nicely in the sky as a breeze blew through the air. In the house, three boys were fast asleep in comfortable sleeping bags. One was chubbier, with bed head evident in his orangey-red hair. Another had messy light brown locks as he snuggled a pillow with a tiny smile. The last one was a teen with spiky purple hair who had only his head peeking out from the sleeping bag. Randy Cunningham and his friends, Howard and Dustin. Having spent yet another Saturday as juniors and a sophomore, they'd had a Grave Puncher gaming marathon and fell asleep once it had gotten too late. A book in the room had a faint red glow from where it rested on Randy's nightstand, the light fading and reappearing like a person breathing. Probably because the Nomicon was a person. Nomi, however, hadn't been overly interested in games that day and spent time studying and planning Randy's next lesson until he grew tired as well. They all slept soundly and peacefully, unaware of the events that would take place that upcoming year. A dark shadow took up the window as it materialized seemingly out of thin air. It slid cautiously into the room, opening the window barely a crack as it entered. Now stuck onto the wall, a pair of glowing, yellow eyes opened and a sneer appeared upon its face as what appeared to be hair floated around like the serpents that adorned medusa's own head. Slithering over the ceiling and to the other end of the room, the shadow stopped beside Randy's nightstand, staring down at the Nomicon with its hateful gaze. She stretched a claw-like finger off the wall and touched the book lightly at the center before she slowly began to dissolve. The yellowed eyes opened again and looked around a huge dojo. A few lamps were lit to provide some light, but still dim enough to let Nomi sleep alright. A smirk appeared on the apparition's face as she hurried off to find somewhere, along with someone, important. A familiar, boarded up building appeared before the being, to which she smiled. This place held exactly who she was looking for. Slipping a inside with ease, she looked around for what she'd come in search of. In an almost hidden cage, a teen sat quietly with a hood that hid their face from view draped over their head.

" _Hello_ ~" Semira greeted in a slimy yet smooth voice that sent a chill through the crowded room. The teen looked up, revealing messy purple hair and red eyes…an exact replica of Randy.

"Who are you?" He asked in annoyance.

"Dear Nomicon did a good job about making you, I must say. You look exactly like that pesky ninja!"

"The difference is that I ain't him. I don't follow this book's rules or act like Mr. Goodie-Two-Shoes." "

Oh, I've heard! Did you really enjoy your time in the real world?"

"Definitely."

"I can take you back there, free you, let you be your own person…" A smirk worked its way to Semira's mouth when she saw consideration swimming in the boy's eyes.

"You aren't serious…right?"

"Oh, I'm definitely serious. Even better, I can offer…payback."

"Alright, you have my attention. I'm listening."

"I can help you get back at Nomicon and his little Ninja for what they did, all while releasing you from your prison."

"Why do you wanna help me?" He asked suspiciously.

"We've both been in the same boat. I was imprisoned by them as well and seek revenge. Are you in?" Semira held a hand through the bars of the cage, a smile dripping with fake kindness adorning her otherwise featureless face. The teen sat there quietly, thinking the deal over, before shaking Semira's hand.

"Splendid! Let's start by letting you go, shall we?" Raising a fist over her head, Semira smashed the top of the cage and pulled the bars apart without hesitation as the teen crawled through the opening.

"We should be going. Don't want to waste any precious time." Semira grabbed his arm roughly and zipped away with him in her clutches as they exited the Ninja Nomicon. The teen growled inaudibly at the sight of Randy as he slept soundly and Semira held back a laugh as they flew from the window.

"So, what's your name, child?" She asked, dropping him onto the grass before landing softly before him.

"That Ninja and his stupid friends call me NomiRandy."

"Well, NomiRandy, I believe it's time to start planning their demise. Listen carefully…"

* * *

Nomi awoke with a start. He'd been having a reoccurring dream turned nightmare. It was the same thing, every night. A dark cave with a waterfall at the end of it and a person facing away from him. They would always be saying something, but he could never make out what as a light emanated from the person. Without warning, the scene would dissolve and Semira would appear, an insane look in her eyes and a sinister grin that cut her face in half. "Where's your Norisu Nine now, dear Nomicon?" She would mumble in that sickening voice that echoed through the chilled air. Nine figures, all unidentifiable, lay on the ground, as motionless as Nomi. Before he or Semira could do anything, the scene would fade with a flash of light and he would wake up. He looked around the dojo, rubbing his arms due to how cold it was and yawned sleepily. He heard Randy, Howard, and Dustin talk as they began to awake, smiling to himself at them. He'd known two of them for almost three years now and Dustin for one, nearly two. It pained him to think that they'd have to forget him in another year. Being the Ninja Nomicon, he had to erase the memory of the current Ninja and all of those who knew his identity about the Ninja, their moments as or with the Ninja, and…Nomi. Nomi tried not to think about it, however. They still had time together, and he was willing to spend all his time with his friends. He heard Dustin leaving the room, his mother waiting for him downstairs, as Howard shut the door.

"Is the book awake?" He whispered, staring down at Nomi from where he rested.

"Yes, I'm fully awake, Howard." Nomi answered as he changed from a book to a teenager, sitting quietly on the nightstand.

"Why were you stuck in here, studying? It's not like you even go to school!"

"I prefer a book to Grave Puncher."

"This is why I'll never understand you."

"Likewise."

"Weird how you're friends and talk like you're strangers." Randy chuckled.

"He's the one responsible for Ninja No Show." Howard stated, crossing his arms.

"Just as much as you're a cause of Randy's recklessness."

"I try my best." Nomi rolled his eyes as Howard laughed and Randy shook his head with a smile.

"You are both unbelievable. It explains why I'm more responsible than the entirety of our group of companions."

"You've had 800 years to become responsible, unlike us!"

"I believe seventeen years has been enough for you to become even slightly mature, but I can make mistakes."

"Ninja Nomicons don't make mistakes."

"Remember Howard, I'm only human."

"But aren't you a book? That's how I was introduced to you, anyway."

"Every book holds a story, Howard. You just don't know mine."

"What is it?" Randy asked.

"I…prefer not to discuss it."

"Why not?"

"Reasons."

"What kinda reasons?"

"Reasons you don't fully understand."

"Can you tell me them so I can understand?"

"…I will eventually. I give you my word on that."

"Aww, but I wanna know now!" Nomi chuckled as Randy whined in a childish manner. ' _Some things never change.'_ He thought with a smile. ' _But would I ever want them to?_ '

"Enough complaining, Randy. We were meeting Lex for something today, weren't we?"

"Oh yeah! We gotta do that!"

"What is this meeting for, anyway?"

"You'll find out." Howard said with a wide grin that imitated Randy's own perfectly.

"If it's another one of your ideas on how to get Shoob Tube famous, I'm out."

"There goes our other meeting topic…" "It's much more important than that!" Randy exclaimed, grinning as Nomi raised an eyebrow, curious as to what they were talking about.

* * *

"Sup, little high schoolers!" Mordea greeted the trio that stood on the porch.

"Hello, graduate!" Randy said.

"Come in! Lex's upstairs, blaring her music as usual." Mordea stepped aside, letting them enter the house before shutting the door softly behind them.

"Have you been accepted into Norrisville University yet?" Nomi asked curiously.

"I sent the application and all that other important stuff, so it's only a matter of time before I get the results of it."

"We're here to discuss something important Nomi! Not Mordea's college ideas!" Howard stated.

"I believe college is quite important in the life of an individual who just graduated with honors role and probably more so than whatever you have planned."

"Not true!" Nomi rolled his eyes and Mordea chuckled.

"Future importances. Right now, Howard's right. Currently, anyway. You'll see what I mean when you see Lex." Mordea smiled and winked, walking away as the trio went upstairs towards Lex's room. Just as she'd said, music was heard from the room right along with Lex's singing, though she was quiet. Randy opened the door and Lex looked up from where she sat on the bed, smiling as her friends entered the room.

"Geez, and I thought you'd never show up!" Lex joked.

"This is an interesting song choice of yours." Nomi commented, staying quiet as he listened to the music coming from Lex's CD player.

"Like it? It's one of Levander Hart's songs."

"Levander Hart?" Randy and Howard asked in unison, looking at each other before turning back to Lex.

"Yep! He's just amazing! I have a couple of his albums, well, from before his fame went down the drain." Randy and Howard looked at each other, staying to stifle their oncoming laughter…and failing.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, you don't know Levander like we do!" Howard laughed.

"You know Levander Hart and you never told me?! That's so awesome sauce!"

"It would be if he knew how to sing or play guitar."

"Hello? Have you not listened to his music?"

"We have. Then I destanked him and was reminded how he actually sounds." Randy said, smirking as Lex's jaw hit the ground.

"What do you mean you destanked him?"

"The Sorcerer had given Levander talent and stanked him and that's probably the reason you like his music. Having actually been in a band with the guy…yeah, he can't play."

"Thanks for ruining Levander Hart for me. Really appreciate it."

"Hey, you asked."

"Gotta admit though, he was pretty good when the Sorcerer had a hold on him." Howard said.

"Tell me about it. He was so cool!"

"Cooler than Randy?" Nomi asked, smirking as Randy listened closely for Lex's answer. Lex seemed to catch on and smirked mischievously.

"Definitely. I mean, that spiky pink hair and those blue eyes really work. Not to mention his voice." Randy pursed his lips, fuming slightly as Lex continued talking about Levander.

"Hello? Remember me? Your boyfriend?" He said, crossing his arms as he looked away.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Randy! I was just telling Nomi how dreamy Levander is." Lex joked, pretending to have not noticed Randy.

"I think you've got some competition, Cunningham." Howard chuckled, Randy pouting as he turned around as to not face anyone in the room.

"Aww, Randy, I didn't mean it. There's no need to get all jealous." Lex said with a apologetic smile.

"I'm not jealous."

"That's why you're having a staring contest with the wall."

"It's a nice wall." Lex rolled her eyes, smiling as she walked over to Randy and hugged him from behind.

"There's nothing wrong with being jealous, Randy." She kissed his cheek and chuckled as his face turned red. "In fact, it's kinda cute."

"You two done yet? This meeting is more important than your lovey-dovey nonsense!" Howard said, rolling his eyes as he looked through Lex's collection of CDs. Lex released Randy, much to his dislike, and walked over to Howard and Nomi.

"What is this meeting about, anyway?" Nomi questioned curiously.

"Only the most important thing ever!" Lex said, a broad grin on her face.

"The Battle of the Bands!" She, Randy, and Howard shouted in unison.

"I was brought along for you to discuss a musical competition?"

"Yes!" Nomi sighed, taking a seat at Lex's desk and facing the three of them.

"So, what do you plan on doing?"

"Entering 30 Seconds to Math, with our new member!"

"You can play an instrument?" Nomi asked turning to Lex.

"Not many, but I'm skilled with the electric violin and pretty good with the guitar."

"Interesting. What do you plan on performing?"

"That's what the meeting's about! We've been trying to work on a song and practicing too! We just can't find the words."

"May I hear what you have so far?"

"Sure! Let's go out back first. Dad's working and probably won't be too thrilled if he's distracted by our awesomeness."

 _ **Look at that! Another Ninja has returned with the third installment! I've been wanting to do this forever, but, ya know, writer's block! I only hope it can hold up with the first two, but I'll try my best! Hope you all like this one and until the next chapter! SMOKEBOMB!**_


	2. Practice Makes Perfect

Chapter 2

Nomi listened with interest as Lex, Randy, and Howard all played their instruments with such skill and concentration. Detention Deficit Disorder was the song they'd chosen to play to Nomi first, just so he knew what they sounded like, before playing the instrumentals of the current sound they were writing. Nomi smiled, fully enjoying 30 Seconds to Math's music. They got to the end of the song and they all struck dramatic poses, Howard finishing it off with his beats.

"Now, for our newest song!" Lex shouted.

"Two, three, four!" Randy began, ready to start playing.

"You're still doing it wrong." Howard interrupted.

"Howard!" Howard and Lex chuckled at the joke, high-fiving as Randy pouted.

"Let's just play the song…"

"Got it…but you still did it wrong."

"Let it go!" Lex rolled her eyes, starting the song off nice and slow on her guitar. Howard soon followed her lead with his beats, Randy jumping in with his keytar. They played the song slowly and smoothly at the start, though it began speeding up as the song went on. Amazing notes came from the keytar and guitar, the beats providing an excellent…well, beat. They kept going and as the song went on, Nomi thought it was just excellent. The tone, rhythm, beat, all of it. It just…worked. When the song ended, Nomi nodded his head in approval as he smiled and clapped politely.

"So, how was it?" Lex asked curiously, brushing a strand of hair from her face.

"I think you all did quite well. All you need are the vocals!"

"Too bad we can't think of any. I swear, if we can't think of any, we're covering a song."

"What song would you cover?"

"I, personally, would want it to be You're Gonna Go Far Kid by Offspring, but Randy and Howard don't agree."

"I said it should've been Detention Deficit Disorder…" Howard commented.

"I wanted it to be Immortals by Fall Out Boy." Randy muttered.

"You listen to them?"

"Well, Lex does and she introduced them to me…"

"Lex, stop mind controlling him!"

"Hey, it's not my fault!" Lex said, her eyes becoming big and watery as she turned to Randy. "Right?"

"U-Uh huh…" Randy stammered, looking away with slightly pink cheeks. Lex and Nomi shared a laugh as Howard continued to rant, only fueling their laughter.

"Hey! We brought you into this band and we can kick you right back out!"

"Cool, then I can win against you."

"You don't have a band!"

"I could start one with Jasmine, Dustin, and Scarlett."

"You'd lose then!"

"How do you know? I haven't started that band yet."

"You're unbelievable."

"I'm quite aware of that."

"Let's take five, okay?" Randy said, smiling nervously at his two friends

"I'm in. We can talk about the song over lunch. You three in?" Lex asked as she grabbed her guitar with a smile.

"I'm in."

"Why not?" "I will join you."

* * *

As the four of them all ate and chatted casually inside, they were unaware of someone watching them. A figure stood atop a streetlight, staring down at the house with phenomenal vision that easily spotted them through the window. The figure wore a white suit with a long cloak that swayed in the wind, the hood of which shrouded their face in shadow. The yin and yang symbol was delicately sewn onto the right side of their chest, nearly hidden by the cloak. A black, silk scarf was tied around their waist and swayed around along with the ribbons tied at their feet and arms. A few dark strands of hair could be seen framing the figure's face along with a pair of glowing golden eyes. The figure stood motionless as they watched the four teens, completely silent and unnoticed by anyone. Even when they finished eating and went outside, the figure did not speak. However, to remain out of sight, they leapt from the streetlight, onto a roof, and into a tree in Lex's backyard. While they couldn't see the person, the figure could see them, even through the thick leaves.

"So, anymore song ideas before I choose for us?" Lex asked loudly, the figure watching with slight curiosity. ' _Hmm…so this is what they do. Interesting.'_ They thought, tilting their head to the side as they listened to the ninjas (and Howard) speak.

"Hey, if we can't decide, we're not letting you choose a song!" Howard proclaimed.

"Oh? And why not?"

"You'll probably pick a Levander song!"

"I will not…probably!"

"See? I knew letting her in the band was a bad idea!"

"Howard–" Randy began, only to be interrupted by Howard.

"Stop taking her side!"

"You didn't even let me finish!"

"I didn't need to!"

"Shouldn't you be more focused with your song of choice?" Nomi asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We should, but Howard and I can't agree on one!" Lex said with a pout, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry if I would rather perform a 30 Seconds to Math original instead of your unfinished song or a Levander track!" Howard countered.

"Technically, my 'unfinished song' would be a 30 Seconds to Math original 'cause we're all working on it!"

"Not the point!"

"Then what is?"

"We need to pick a good song, not your girly taste in music!"

"I'm trying to change it up! This is probably why you two haven't won yet. The audience got bored hearing the same thing over again!"

"You take that back!"

"Make me!" The person raised an eyebrow and shook their head as Lex and Howard continued bickering childishly. ' _Unbelievable…_ these _are supposed to be ninjas?'_ The person wondered. ' _They need me more than I assumed. I'll have to wait though…give them time…perhaps there is more that I need to discover.'_ So they waited, watching with light curiosity as the four yelled and sang and chatted amongst themselves without a care in the world. _'I better be right…they may be the last hope we have.'_


	3. First Fight of the Year

Chapter 3

Lex smiled widely as she walked down the hall beside Randy and Howard.

"What are you so happy about? We're in school!" Howard grumbled.

"Yeah, but there's no more Bash! I still can't get over that and the fact that in one more year, I'll never have to set foot in here again!" Lex proclaimed with a laugh.

"You seem pretty excited about that." Randy chuckled as Lex practically skipped ahead of him and Howard.

"I'm thrilled! It'll be the end of monsters, robots, drama, homework, teachers…all of that'll be over with!"

"Yeah, but we won't be…you know… _ninjas_ anymore."

"I know…but we don't know about me, right? I might still be, since I'm not THE ninja. Maybe now I'll be the one to just surprise you at random."

"Not a good idea. First time I did that, you threw a notebook at me."

"Hey, the lesson was don't surprise me."

"And didn't I learn it."

"You didn't. You still did that, only I knew it was you and didn't throw anything at you."

"We don't discuss this anymore!" Lex chuckled as the three of them entered their first class of the day and sat down, continuing joking around and such as they waited for class to start.

"Good morning, class!" The teacher greeted moments later, kids turning around in their seats to look at him tiredly.

"Now, before we can begin our exciting adventures with quadratic functions, I'd like to introduce a new student! If you would please come to the front of the room!" The students looked around curiously as they tried to find the new kid, but didn't see him.

"Come on. You have to introduce yourself."

"Fine." Came a reluctant groan from the back of the class. Everyone turned around and saw a tall boy stand up from a desk in the corner by the window. He wore a black leather jacket with a grey hood pulled over his head, dark brown jeans, and a midnight blue shirt. His boots thunked against the floor as he made his way to the front of the class with his hands in his pockets. Once he stood at the front of the room, everyone waited in silence as he stood there and looked around, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood.

"Please take off the hood and introduce yourself." The teacher said. The boy sighed and pulled off the hood, revealing messy black hair and bright red eyes. One could also barely make out piercings on his ears when he brushed his hair away from his face.

"The name's Kurosu." He said, his tone bored and tired.

"We're very happy to have you here Kurosu. Now–"

"Can I sit back down, now?"

"–once you have your assigned seat. Gather your things and sit in the seat in front of Ms. Rivera. Ms. Rivera, can you please raise your hand so he knows where you are?" Lex smiled lightly and raised her hand, watching as the boy looked around. Once his eyes landed on her, he smirked as he sauntered over and leaned against her desk.

"Rivera…it's nice to meet ya." Kurosu said as he plonked down in his seat, holding a hand out to Lex.

"Kurosu Okuyama, at your service. You?"

"I'm Lex." Lex introduced, raising an eyebrow as she shook Kurosu's hand.

"Lex? I like it…simple. To the point." Kurosu winked and Lex rolled her eyes, gesturing for him to turn around and pay attention to the teacher as the lesson began. He did so reluctantly, eyeing Lex a bit longer before actually turning around. Still, he had a rebellious air about him and leaned back in his chair with his feet on the desk. Lex rolled her eyes again before class droned on and on. During said class, Kurosu had taken it upon himself to send her notes as well, thinking he'd discretely folded the bit of notebook paper and plonked it onto her desk. _I'll be seeing you later ;)_ Lex read, looking up from the piece of paper to look at Kurosu, who now had his attention on the board and his notes. The bell rang and everyone rushed from the room, eager to hurry and get the school day over with. Shoving Kurosu's notes into her pocket, Lex gathered her stuff as fast as she could.

"So, where you headed?" Kurosu asked.

"Class, like everyone else." Lex replied with a light chuckle.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

"I know, but it's more fun to answer like that. Still, why do you ask?"

"Well, maybe I'd like to be in another class with you. It'd be the only thing to look forward to, after all."

"Do you talk to all girls like that or am I the exception?"

"Well, honestly…"

"Funny how you're trying to bother me with that. It'll be bad for you, actually."

"Oh really? Why is that?"

"Because a girl is eventually gonna prove why you shouldn't be a flirt."

"Is that girl you by any chance, because that'd be better than you're making it out to be." Lex rolled her eyes and was about to respond when she heard Randy and Howard calling her from the doorway.

"You coming or what?"

"Yeah! One minute!" Lex called back, turning back and smiling politely to Kurosu.

"Well, it was nice meeting you. See ya." With that, she scurried to the door, smiling as she greeted Randy and Howard. Kurosu smirked to himself, watching them leave before he himself left the room and walked silently down the hall. ' _So that was Kasumi…this'll be fun…'_ He thought with a chuckle, eyes glowing faintly as he walked off.

* * *

Lunch finally rolled around as the trio walked into the cafeteria, lunch in hand.

"There you are!" A flash of blond hair and blue fabric shot towards them and tackled them in a tight hug. Pulling away, Scarlett grinned with her hands on her hips.

"It took you long enough to get here! Almost thought you'd forgotten about us!" She chuckled, playfully punching Lex's arm.

"Sorry that we walk to the cafeteria and can't teleport here." She laughed in reply.

"If you could, you would've seen Dustin celebrating like it was Christmas morning. I'm not kidding, he's absolutely thrilled that Bash isn't here!"

"Really? Shy, quiet, little Dustin was acting like that?"

"Yep, he danced around and everything."

"Wouldn't expect that from him…did you get it on tape?"

"You underestimate me." Scarlett held up her phone with a triumphant smile to prove her point, her and Lex bursting into laughter.

"Don't put that on Shoob Tube though, alright? This is still Dustin were talking about." Lex chuckled, laughing more when Scarlett pouted childishly.

"Ugh, fine. If Howard acts like that though, that's going viral."

"Nice to see you too. Still as irritating as last year." Howard grumbled.

"Right back at you. Still annoying, I see." Scarlett retorted as the two glared at one another.

"…how much you wanna bet they get together by the end of the year?" Lex mumbled to Randy with an amused smile.

"It wouldn't happen that quickly. Maybe senior year." Randy replied.

"Fifteen bucks says you're wrong."

"You're on."

"HEY! Stop pairing us! There's absolutely nothing to like about him/her!" Howard and Scarlett shouted in unison before turning back to one another and scowling.

"Stop copying me! I'm not copying you, _you're_ copying me! Do you see this?! Ugh!" Randy and Lex laughed as the two continued on with their bickering, even as they made their way to the table and sat down.

"I didn't expect t-them to fight s-so quickly." Dustin chuckled quietly, smiling sweetly at all of them. Jasmine raised an eyebrow at his statement, a look of disbelief on her face.

"Well…m-maybe I did." She grinned and nodded before waving to Randy and Lex, knowing full well that if she greeted Scarlett and Howard, they wouldn't notice anyway.

"So, how're you two doing?" Lex asked.

"Pretty good. I m-mean, not much h-has gone on today." Dustin answered with a small shrug. Jasmine looked confused and nudged his side, the pair sharing a look as Dustin seemed more confused than she was and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh! I think I know what you mean! Second period, right?" Jasmine gave a broad grin and nodded.

"What happened?" Randy asked, wondering how Dustin could even understand Jasmine considering she hadn't said a thing.

"W-Well, there was a n-new kid in our second p-period class, a junior I t-think–"

"Yeah, he stood out like a sore thumb. The way he talked was a lot like Nomi and I'm pretty sure he was Japanese. Kind of a know it all, acted really odd, and he looked at us like we just got the T-virus." Scarlett interrupted.

"Was his name Kurosu?" Lex questioned.

"Nope. Different guy. We did see Kurosu last period after he was flirting with Jasmine, though. He get to you too?" Lex nodded with a roll of her eyes, thinking back to Kurosu's flirting earlier that morning. He wasn't bad looking (oddly enough, he somewhat reminded her of Randy) and, admittedly, he had a way with words, but he just wasn't her type. Besides, she had Randy and couldn't be happier. However, Randy didn't as happy when he heard that someone had apparently been hitting in Lex.

"Wait, what?" Randy asked, clearly trying his best not to appear jealous.

"Kurosu's a flirt and he kinda admitted that to me this morning. He's not my type anyway, Randy. You're way better than he is." Lex chuckled, kissing Randy's cheek reassuringly. He blushed lightly and frowned, still not convinced.

"Hey, things could be a lot worse. Like a–" A crash was heard as a monster burst through the doors of the cafeteria, sending students and lunch ladies alike into a frenzy as they ran away from it. "–monster could attack." Lex finished with a sigh, hiding under the table and pulling on her mask before leaping at the monster. It was huge, hairy spider with dark crimson eyes that looked at everyone hungrily. For a moment, she thought it was Julian, but there was a clear difference in this spider and the stanked teen that came to mind. Besides, this one had a more bloodthirsty look in his eyes that was unlike that of a stanked student. It tried to stomp Lex through the floor with one of its long legs, but she dodged agilely before throwing an electro ball at it and watching as the spider twitched and hissed at her. Before it could grab her, Randy came flying forward and jabbed the handle of his katana into one of the monster's eyes. It screeched and waved a few of its legs around, desperate to hit the one who'd temporarily blinded it. It glared at the ninjas from its remaining eyes before jabbing at them with its forelegs, leaving gaping holes in the floor from where it had struck the ground. Randy and Lex nodded to one another, throwing the ends of their scarves to each other, grabbing them and rushing towards the spider monster. It screeched and hissed as it still tried to hit them, turning and watching as they ran around it. It quickly caught on to their plan and bit through the scarves before knocking the ninjas into a wall. The monster made a sound similar to laughter as it scurried closer to them, lunging froward with a sinister grin that revealed rows and rows of teeth. Randy was quick to grab his katana and block the monster, which tried desperately to reach them, legs swinging wildly and snapping its jaws viciously. Lex grabbed a ninja ball at random and threw it into the monster's mouth, surprising it as it took a step back with a look of confusion.

"Take cover!" She shouted, grabbing Randy and running out the lunch room along with the rest of the students. The monster coughed a plume of smoke, eyes widening with fear just before it exploded.

"Hmm…thought I'd grabbed an electro ball or something. Still, that worked much better." Lex chuckled nervously. Oddly enough, not much remained of the spider-monster, save for some webs and a hoard of much smaller spiders that hurriedly rushed out of the window. One crawled by Lex's feet and she yelped, jumping into Randy's arm and clinging to him fearfully as she watched the large spider hurry to follow its kind out of the room.

"Calm down. The big bad spider is gone now." Randy said, his smile lopsided as he held back a laugh.

"But that thing was huge!" Lex retorted with a pout.

"Did we not just fight one bigger than that?"

"It exploded into more spiders…that's gonna haunt my dreams tonight…" Randy couldn't hold back his laugh now, ruffling Lex's hair playfully as she glared at him.

"Hey, don't judge! It's not everyday I see a spider explode into more spiders! Oh my glob, what if _those_ spiders can explode into _even more_ spiders and then _those_ ones can–!"

"I think you're over thinking it. Really, it's as if you don't see crazy stuff everyday!"

"This is different!" Randy was about to reply when he saw the look in Lex's eyes, one that signaled she'd argue about this all day if it got him to see her point.

"Alright, alright. At least they're gone though." He sighed, smiling reassuringly.

"Yeah…I'd rather fight a robot or something instead of a bunch of giant spiders." Lex replied with a shudder at the thought of the spiders returning.

"You're unbelievable."

"So are you. Again, exploding spider."

"I think I get it!"

"Would you say I need to let it go?" "Yes! Wait…wait, no no no no–!"

" _Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore! Let it go! Let it go!_ "

"SMOKEBOMB!" Lex burst into laughter as Randy hurriedly threw down a smoke bomb and left, Lex soon following suit.


	4. Enemies, New and Old

Semira smirked, turning away from a small swirl of shadows that, oddly enough, showed the ninjas and their friends at school. She waved her hand and allowed the vision to vanish as her eyes shined in the darkness of the cave. A tall, lithe figure sat on what appeared to be a throne surrounded by cobwebs as insects crawled about the wall and floor, most notably spiders.

"So, what are your thoughts?" Semira inquired, stepping forward as her hair swirled around her head as if underwater.

"They're definitely stronger than I would've thought. The original few, of course, I hold some respect for them. These…these _children_ …I never would've expected _that_ from them." The figure said, voice low and soft, almost a whisper with a feminine charm.

"Trust me, I thought the same at one point in time. Unfortunately, they're much stronger than they appear. It isn't wise to underestimate them." Semira replied with a scowl, remembering her disappointing… _defeat_ (the word seemed foreign to her) that had occurred only a year before. She didn't plan for another one. Not again.

"I can tell. After all, only one other warrior in history has ever defeated my tsuchi-gumo." The mysterious woman chuckled bitterly. Her eyes, resembling that of burning embers, widened with delight as she watched various spiders larger than her hand enter the room as their skittering echoed off the walls. "An impressive feat, but nothing worth any honor or respect, especially from me."

"You still have to consider my deal, darling. It's not as if you do anything else of the same interest as what I'm offering." Semira chuckled, unfazed when the woman scoffed. A spider crawled onto her lap, purring like a cat as she stared off with a conflicted look, clearing thinking over Semira's words. "I don't have all day, darling." Semira added impatiently. "I apologize, Semira. Yes, your offer is quite tempting, but how am I benefiting from this? I can see how you get what you want, plus some long awaited revenge, but that's all I see."

"You really don't understand? Hmm, I guess isolation for all these years does that to you." Semira chuckled, pacing the floor in front of the throne with a delighted smirk. "What I'm doing actually benefits more than just the two of us. Once those foolish ninjas and that book of theirs is dealt with, beings like us can roam freely, as we once did. Nothing will be able to stop either of us, possibly others, from regaining a terrifying hold on this world."

"You make a compelling point…" The woman mumbled, her gaze locked on the spider she was stroking as if it were a cat. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she looked back up at Semira. "What proof do I have that I can trust you? You're _in_ famous for a reason." She hissed, raising an eyebrow at the sly smile on the chaotic being's face.

"None. However, considering I want us to succeed, you should at least have some faith in me. So, what do you say? Do we have a deal?" Semira asked, holding out a hand with a smirk. A long silence settled on the room, though it made the sounds of hushed scurrying up and down the walls and ghost-like whispers that much more apparent.

"Alright, Semira," The woman took the shadowy spirit's hand in her own, "…you've got a deal." Semira's wicked smile nearly split her face in two.

"You've made an excellent choice. 'People' like us need to stick together, after all, in these dark times."

"Dark times? But–"

"Oh, they're already approaching. Faster than I'd expected, but don't fret. It'll be dark times for them too…that's a guarantee." Semira's psychotic laughter echoed off the walls of the cave as the spiders hurriedly scampered away from her.

* * *

"Battle after battle, it never seems to end. I know it will eventually, a fate that just won't bend." Lex sang gently, smiling as she put down her guitar and hurriedly fixed the lyrics she'd written in the notebook lying beside her. "You're a knight in shining armor, the one who stands so tall. Defeating almost every foe, you had no fears at all." Avian screeched, trying to get Lex's attention as he nudged her arm. She laughed lightly and hugged the tengu's neck as he cooed softly. Being the size he was, he had to live in the guest room of the house (though this was because Lex refused him living in the attic) and Lex spent plenty of her time writing the new song for Battle of the Bands in there with Avian.

"Hey, I know you're here. Can't you let me try and finish the song?" Lex giggled. Avian's beak curled into what seemed to be a smile, looking over Lex's shoulder at her notebook curiously. "Like it, Avian? It's taking longer than I thought, since Randy and Howard are gonna have to like this too." Lex held out notebook out to the tengu, Avian nodded and screeched softly.

"Think they'll like it?" The tengu seemed ready to nod before a thoughtful look crossed his face. He shrugged with an uncertain smile. "Well, I was confident at first, but now I don't know. Thanks Avian." Lex said with a joking sarcasm. Avian simply cooed in reply before lifting his head and looking towards the door where Mordea stood with a wide smile.

"Sup nerd. Still songwriting, I see." She said. "I've been doing that for quite awhile. After all, I need to make sure the guys like the song too. What's got you so happy?" Lex said, setting down her notebook and raising an eyebrow in question.

"Guess who's been accepted to Norrisville University?" Mordea said excitedly, holding up a letter with a squeal.

"Awesome! I'm happy for you! Well, now. Had you told me two years ago, I probably would've fed it to Avian." Lex replied, genuinely excited for her sister though she ended her reply with a joking tone.

"If you did that, I would've snitched." Mordea joked back, shaking her head with a teasing smile.

"To who? Dad or the wicked stepmother?" Lex's light tone lost its joking nature and her smile faltered as she thought about their stepmother.

"Whichever heard about it first." Mordea said, instantly noticing Lex's behavior. She walked over with a sigh as she took a seat beside her younger sister and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You know what dad always says?"

"…eat your vegetables?"

"No. He's always telling you to try and give Veronica a shot. You still can't get over it and do that."

"The day I call her 'mom' is the day I die."

"Lex, I'm gonna be blunt; you need to grow up. You can't act like a child forever, just because you treat her like a monster. You need to face the facts that she's legally part of this family. She's alright once you get to know her."

 _"Legally_. Mom didn't need a legal document to be mom. She just had to be mom to be mom!"

"Lex, look at me." Mordea ordered sternly, crossing her arms. Lex reluctantly did as she was told with an edge to her sadness at the thought of their mother. "I know you miss mom and I do too, but you need to let go eventually. Things happen for a reason. I wish it'd never happened but the past is in the past." Mordea said softly.

"Easy for you to say. How easy was it to forget during my freshman year?" Lex replied bitterly, to which Mordea's stare became steely and she pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Lex, don't start this. You don't get how hard it was for me. If you'll just–"

"How hard it was for YOU? Are you serious? It looked a heck of a lot easier for you with how you dealt with your grief. How did you do that? You may as well have spat on mom's grave and dug mine."

"Lex–" "I don't wanna hear it! You nearly killed me because you signed a deal with the Sorcerer to have me killed! You couldn't look past all your jealousy–"

"Lex!"

"–all your hatred–"

"Lex, stop–"

"–all your frustration and anger and other stupid emotions and realize that you weren't the only one suffering! Veronica will never replace her and now I see that you still think she can!"

"Alexandria Rivera, will you shut up for a second and look at me!" Mordea shouted so loudly and her tone was so sharp that it instantly quieted Lex, who came to notice that her older sister was shaking slightly and her nails were digging into her arms. "You don't get it, do you? Lex, part of me knew all of that was wrong. All of it. I cried every single night after mom died and all you did was pity yourself, too. However, _nothing_ in this world could make me think that this was entirely anyone's fault. I blamed you because there wasn't anyone to blame and, let's face it, you were always her favorite. Do you know how much that hurts, watching as your forgotten for a sibling that you excited to have before they became the center of attention? When she was in the hospital, that's all I remembered too. I remember thinking that and then I…" Mordea's voice cracked as she covered her face with her hands, refusing to let her baby sister see her distress. Lex, on the other hand, managed to relax after her burst of emotion and gave her a sympathetic look. Avian cooed gently as he nudged her forwards with his head, urging her to say something.

"Mordea, I…I-I'm sorry."

"Lex, you're such an idiot. You shouldn't be apologizing. You shouldn't feel remotely sorry for me. After everything that's happened–"

"Don't interrupt me. You just said the last is in the past. So is that. Yes, it might have never happened if you'd seen the truth, but I wouldn't have yelled if I had. It's both of our faults that this all happened, but neither of us did anything that would've hurt mom. Look, it'll be awhile until I get over mom and it'll take just as much time to fully forget everything else that happened. I forgave you." Lex hugged Mordea, to which she received a hug in return.

"You make it worse because it was complicated being mad at you. It still is." The older girl muttered.

"We'll work through it, okay? I promise, I'll try and help you and you can do the same with me. I don't want us having a near battle to the death a second time. I know it was so fun originally, but we've gotta stop doing that."

"You're such a schoob."

"Takes one to know one." Mordea managed to laugh at this and playfully punched Lex's arm as she pulled away with mascara streaking down her cheeks.

"Alright, alright, I promise. However, that means you're gonna make an effort to like Veronica, okay?"

"Near death battle's sounding better already…"

"Okay?"

"…okay. I promise I'll try." Lex sighed with a somewhat forced grin, though it became much more sincere when Mordea beamed.

"Good. I'll help too. In fact, call up your friends or just Randy if you'd like."

"Why?"

"Oh, simple. We're inviting them to dinner. If we're going to start over and try and be better, I think we should do it over a meal. Dad would like that." Lex would've refused the moment her sister had stood and walked out of the room, but she played the 'blank will make dad happy' card. ' _Not fair.'_

"Either you do it or I will!" Her voice called out from the hallway. Lex sighed and shook her head as Avian let out a happy screech that she assumed was a confirmation that Lex would do as she was told. ' _This can only end in tears.'_ She thought with a groan.

 _ **I'm sorry that after all this time, this is what I wrote. But hey! Veronica was mentioned again! We know how much we love her, right? After making Lex's life miserable! Won't that dinner be fun?! I'm such a cruel writer to my characters, I'm sorry. I hope you like this so far and until the next chapter, SMOKEBOMB!**_


End file.
